最近谍照记者在纽伯格林赛道北环拍到了正在测试的新款路虎揽胜极光。虽然新车将作为2019/2020款车型上市，但它并非全新车型，主要是由于该车仍将采用D8平台，但该车将进行大幅升级。包括延长轴距以便为内部乘客提供更充裕空间。另外，前后轮距也将增加以便能达到同样的车身比例。目前还不清楚路虎的SVO部门是否愿意打造一款基于第二代极光，可以和奥迪SQ3和奔驰-AMG GLA45这些车竞争的高性能版本。如果真有这款车，那么就不会再有极光SVR或类似车型了。新款极光或许将于今年下半年发布，或许在10月初举行的巴黎车展期间就能看到这辆车。而美版车将作为2020款车型上市。

 

New Range Rover Evoque Seen Abusing Its Tires At The Nurburgring

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on the baby Velar, it means you have probably seen our spy shots from the end of March with a camouflaged prototype tackling the Nürburgring. Judging by the license plate, Land Rover is back at the Nordschleife with the same test vehicle and it’s really pushing it to the max through the numerous corners of the famous track.

 

What in the world is a small crossover doing in a place such as the Green Hell? While the Evoque will prioritize comfort and luxury over anything else, it will also have to be fun to drive to better compete with segment rivals such as the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, and the Audi Q3. Land Rover wants to make sure it will live up to the overly used words such as “agile” and “dynamic” while retaining the benefits of a crossover, such as the increased ride height.

 

Don’t say we didn’t warn you, but the unpractical three-door version will likely be going the way of the dodo, with the body style of the outgoing model having already been axed in the United States. The 2019/2020 Evoque won’t be an all-new model since it’s expected to retain the same D8 architecture, but with some significant upgrades like a stretched wheelbase for more room inside compared to the cramped cabin of the outgoing model. Both the front and rear axles will likely be widened for the same purpose.

 

It will be interesting to see whether Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division will work its magic on the second-generation Evoque to take on competitors like the Audi SQ3 and the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45. Even if it will happen, we certainly won’t see an Evoque SVR or something to that effect from day one.

 

By the way, when is “day one”? The new Evoque will probably be unveiled in the second half of 2018, perhaps at the beginning of October during the Paris Motor Show. In the United States, it will likely be offered as a 2020MY.